NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Rainbow Boa
Epicrates cenchria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria) is a boa species endemic to South America. A semi-arboreal species (not only do they climb in the wild but also proven in captivity), it is known for its attractive iridescent/holographic sheen caused by structural coloration. Five subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Wikipedia contributors, Rainbow boa; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:19:10.635909+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Epicrates cenchria (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common name
- Rainbow Boa
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Boidae
- Genus
- Epicrates
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyBoidae
- subfamilyBoinae
- genusEpicrates
- speciesEpicrates cenchria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Epicrates. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Brown Rainbow BoaEpicrates maurus Gray, 1849 | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Argentinian Rainbow BoaEpicrates alvarezi Abalos, Baez & Nader, 1964 | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Paraguayan Rainbow BoaEpicrates crassus Cope, 1862 | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Epicrates assisi Machado, 1944 | BoidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Epicrates cenchria gaigei Stull, 1938 Stull, 1938 | synonym |
| Epicrates cenchria hygrophilus Amaral, 1954 Amaral, 1954 | synonym |
| Boa aboma Daudin, 1803 Daudin, 1803 | ambiguous synonym |
| Boa cenchris Gmelin, 1788 Gmelin, 1788 | synonym |
| Boa ternatea Daudin, 1803 Daudin, 1803 | synonym |
| Boa annulifer Daudin, 1803 Daudin, 1803 | synonym |
| Boa cenchria Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
| Coluber tamachia Scopoli, 1788 Scopoli, 1788 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Epicrates&species=cenchria Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6FQT3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.